Morning came all too quickly for the ponies and wolf gathered in the small crystal cave, though the bright sun was hidden behind thick gray clouds so that it felt like evening. Sirocco awoke to a pink hoof poking her in the side. Still half asleep, the pegasus futilely attempted to swat the hoof away, only to hear Nerdz’ voice give her a rather annoyed wake-up call.
“C’mon, can you please get up? Everyone else would like to discuss the plans for what’s going to happen now,” The earth pony said, waking away to join the group, who had gathered around the makeshift rock table.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Sirocco stood up, quickly stretched her limbs and wings, yawned again, then made her way to a small open spot at the table next to a black pegasus mare she didn’t recognize. Along with her black coat, she had a cyan mane with a purple stripe. She also had a red stripe in her mane, but only on the right side of her forelock. Her cutie mark resembled a gray half-moon with two blue lightning bolts coming out of the bottom. Sirocco assumed this must be Night Rain, as Reneighah mentioned she’d be coming late. Sirocco smiled, and Night gave a small smile back.
“Ahem.” Both pegasi swiveled their heads to glance at Reneighah, who was standing at her spot across the rock table. “Now that we are all awake and at the table, Maryana and I have been discussing what we could possibly do now. We have decided that we don’t want to stay in the Crystal Mountains for much longer, so we have a few places were we could move to.”
“But why should we move out of the mountains?” Night Rain spoke up, aggravation in her voice. “this is the only place that seems to be safe from those water horses, and you want us to leave?”
Reneighah held up her hoof. “We are moving because one, it’s only going to get colder, two, there’s not enough food up here, and three, we want to do something besides sitting around doing nothing!”
Night flinched back a bit after hearing the zebra raise her voice. “Sorry, geez….”
“Anyway, we have a couple options.” Reneighah continued, ignoring Night’s apology. “Our closest non-civilized place would be Neighagra Falls, but Galloping Gorge is an option as well, as well as the areas surrounding these places. We want to avoid the Crystal Empire, Manehatten, and Vanhoover at all costs, unless going there is unavoidable. As soon as this meeting is over, we’re moving out, but we will vote on were to go first.” She paused. “All in favor of moving to Galloping Gorge, raise your hoof.”
Nine hooves were raised into the air, already giving Galloping Gorge the majority vote, as there were only eleven ponies and one wolf.
“Thank you.” The zebra said after the votes had been counted. “Galloping Gorge it is. Since the location is about a week’s journey from our current location, we will stop and try to stock up on supplies in Yakyakistan, which is out of the Kelpies’ range. However, before we leave, Maryana would like to inform you about the water horses, better known as the Kelpie race, and there are a few final words afterword. Maryana, if you would.” Reneighah said, sitting back down as the silver alicorn rose.
“Thank you. The water horses that have recently taken over Equestria are known as Kelpies, a race of equines with powers over water. They have long been thought to be extinct, since the last documented sighting was just after the banishment of Nightmare Moon.
“Kelpies are similar in biology to regular horses, with the added traits of water powers. This includes being able to breath under water, water manipulation, and knowledge of basic magic, though spells can only be performed by Kelpie royalty, who posses seashell-like unicorn horns on their foreheads.
“Kelpie appearance is relatively the same all around, as their coats can only be black or dark green, and their manes and tails can only be light grey. They are known for being very aggressive, and will not hesitate in cannibalizing their own kind should food be scarce. Kelpies are omnivorous, though they lean towards the carnivorous side of the spectrum, but will eat vegetation when meat is scarce. Most ponies know the legends of Kelpies luring and dragging creatures to their doom, which are all true. They are excellent fighters, and can beat most species, barring certain species of dragon.
“However, while they seem unbeatable, they have a few key weaknesses. The main Kelpie weakness is that they have to be in contact with water at all times, even is it is only a few drops, which is one reason why they weave seaweed into their manes. If a Kelpie is away from water for too long, it will eventually die. While Kelpies are excellent fighters, they lose a major advantage being away from water. Another weakness is their own pride, vanity, and arrogance. Like dragons, Kelpies do not like being insulted, and often will fight sloppily when they are mocked or made fun of, allowing them to be more easily defeated.” Maryana finished, taking a deep breath. She took a small bow, then sat back down.
Reneighah stood up again. “Now you have a better idea of what we’re up against, this is where our final proposition comes in. For those who wish to take back our home, raise your hoof!”
Every hoof and the one paw rocketed into the air.
Reneighah didn’t bother to count the votes, as the vote was the same for everyone. “Alright then, we will train hard and fight for Equestria!” She reared, raising a hoof in the air for confidence. Falling back down, she concluded the meeting. “We have give you a few minutes to get ready to leave, and then we will make our way to Galloping Gorge.”
Everyone dispersed from the table, scattering around the cave. Sirocco stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, and to check the weather. Dark grey clouds covered the normally blue sky, with a few fresh snowflakes falling here and there. Out of the corner of her eye, the pegasus noticed Reneighah step outside as well, observing the oncoming snowstorm. Turning around and clearing her throat, she announced to the ponies and wolf in the cave that it was time to go. Collecting her items and placing Figureen in her saddlebags, the blue-eyed zebra moved out of the crystal cave out into the open, with Sirocco and the rest of the company following suit.
Reneighah was at the head of the party, navigating the rocky mountain trail. It was a rather uninteresting walk, as the only scenery was snow, rocks, and the occasional crystal formation. The sun was hidden behind the dark clouds, refusing to show itself. Snowflakes had begun to fall, but slowly. The group walked in silence, the only sounds coming from the crunch of snow under the feet of the group.
A few ponies tried to make conversation, but the talks didn’t last more than a few sentences. The topics were basically identical for every exchange of words, but Sirocco learned more about her pony comrades. Before the invasion, Maryana had been studying magic under the princesses, Nerdz might actually be a pegasus, Whitewolf Stormrunner had been raised by the Great Deer Folk of the Everfree Forest, and Figureen had sat on a shelf in an antique store, just to name a few.
The nonexistent trail to Yakyakistan was a rough journey. The ponies and wolf had to trek through snow up to their bellies, make their way across narrow rocky paths, and not get separated from the group in the snowstorm, which had picked up quite a bit since the group left. Fluffy snowflakes were now coming down at a rapid pace, limiting visibility to only a few feet.
The travelers struggled to move forward, the wind pushing into their faces. Everyone huddled together while they walked, trying to keep warm, though most ponies had already started to lose hope. The blizzard showed no sign of stopping, and they were probably lost amidst the snow.
Maryana lit up her horn, motioning to the other unicorns to do the same, who promptly channeled magic into their own horns, giving off small glows of light. She squinted, trying to see something off in the distance. She turned back to the group, a grin on her face.
“Those lights in the distance might be from Yakyakistan! If we can make it there, we can rest and get supplies! Just be aware the yaks are kind of, um, loud, so just let me do the talking once we’re there!”
That filled the group with new determination, and the travelers had a new light in their weary eyes. Maryana walked up to Renieghah, who nodded and let the silver alicorn take the lead. Putting more energy into her spell, a wave of golden light passed around the ponies and wolf, filling them with warmth, not unlike drinking a hot drink after a walk in the cold.
The walking pace increased significantly, and it felt like no time had passed at all once the group arrived at the gate to Yakyakistan. Maryana led the tired travelers past the gate, officially entering Yakyakistan. Sirocco glanced around, curious of the sights of this new place and culture. Lanterns lined the streets, outlining them with a soft yellow glow. The visible houses were constructed out of wood, bearing ornate designs and patterns. The yaks themselves wore solid color shawls and lots of jewelry, ranging from bracelets to earrings, though some had gold plating on their horns as well. Yak calves ran in the snow, chasing after one another.
The yaks in question had stopped what they were doing and had turned to look at the odd and out-of-place group of (mostly) ponies. Sirocco wasn’t surprised, ponies never visited Yakyakistan, it was extremely out of the ordinary for a pony to be here anyway, much less group of about twelve ponies and one wolf who had just come parading their way into the yak village.
After what seems like hours, Maryana stopped in front of what had to be a small castle, built out of wood like the rest of the houses and buildings. It resembled a large barn, with the same intricate patterns adoring the wood. The guards in front of the castle gate crossed their golden spears, denying entrance to the ponies. Maryana seemed to have anticipated this, as she didn’t flinch like most of the other ponies did. Instead, she calmly spoke to the guards.
“We wish to speak to Prince Rutherford. I know yaks and ponies only recently opened their borders to each other, but we come in peace. We are just a band of travelers wishing to return to Equestria, and we stopped here to rest and possibly get supplies. We wish to stay only for the night, we will leave first thing in the morning.”
The guards glanced at each other, then parted their spears and turned to walk beside the group of ponies. The gate parted, revealing the castle courtyard, everything covered in white snow. One of the guards opened the door, warmth coming out to meet Sirocco and the others. The interior of the castle was quite cozy, with exquisite tapestries draped over the walls, which were made cinderblock, the wood must have been only on the outside of the building.
Prince Rutherford sat on a wooden throne, flanked by more guards. Maryana approached the yak prince, a somewhat nervous look in her eyes. She bowed, and the rest of the group did the same, showing their respect for the yak prince. Maryana stood back up to her full height, cleared her throat, and addressed Prince Rutherford.
“Humble greetings to you, Prince Rutherford. We have come here seeking shelter and supplies. Equestria has fallen to an enemy race, and we are the only known escapees. We are on a mission to reclaim our home, and it would be our great honor to stay here for the night, and stock up on supplies. Please consider helping us,we are in debt to you.” the silver alicorn bowed again, this time not rising, the ponies following suit.
Sirocco snuck a glance upward, though unable to tell Rutherford’s expression as his shaggy mane fell over his eyes. After several tense minutes, he spoke.
“Ponies and yaks friends! Yaks will give ponies food, and ponies may stay in the guest room!”
Maryana rose again, smiling. “Thank you, Prince Rutherford. We are forever grateful.” she said, moving forward to follow the guards, who had motioned for the group to follow them.
The castle was larger than it seemed, and Sirocco would have gotten lost if not for the guards leading them to where they were going to stay for the night. Pushing open a door, the ponies were greeted with a large room with two beds, a small desk, plenty of floor space, and a roaring fire on the wall opposite the beds. Maryana thanked the guards once again, then entered the room, Sirocco and company following her lead. While Reneighah removed Figureen from her saddlebags and placed her on the desk, Nerdz, Wolf, Chaz, Melody, and Sea Breeze all jumped on the beds, which were revealed to be rather plush.
“So who gets to sleep in the beds?” Chaz asked, already snuggling into the soft blankets.
Reneighah shrugged. “That’s for you guys to decide. I’m sleeping on the floor, so I don’t really care.”
“I’d get lost in the sheets, I’d rather sleep on the ledge above the fire, it reminds me of my old home…Reneighah, could you move me up there?” Figureen chimed in, being lifted up by the zebra and placed on the small ledge above the warm fire.
“I’d say the mares can sleep on the beds, us stallions will be comfortable on the floor.” Fang said, moving to find a good spot on the floor, Digit Blaze nodded, then went off to a separate corner of the room.
“I’ll sleep on the floor, I’m used to it, trust me.” the amber kirin said, settling in a spot in the corner of the room.
Nerdz snuggled into the purple blankets, relaxing her tired hooves. “If it’s not a problem, I’d like to sleep in this bed, it’s so comfy…” her eyes started to close, and she promptly fell asleep. Maryana giggled softly, then pulled the blankets over the pink earth pony with her golden magic.
Whitewolf Stormrunner and Sea Breeze had moved off the other bed, but Chaz had already fallen asleep without them noticing, his paws hanging off the side of the bed, snoring softly. Melody had moved up beside him, draping a light purple wing over the brown wolf’s back.
At this point, everyone else decided to sleep on the floor, seeing as the beds were know taken. The ponies each found a spot on the floor, Wolf, Sea Breeze, and Maryana in front of the fire, Reneighah under the desk, Fang in one corner of the room, Digit Blaze in the other, Night Rain and Sirocco partly under the beds, and Figureen above the fire.
“Well, we made it.” Wolf’s tired voice cut through the silent room. “One step down in the journey to take back Equestria.”
“Yeah,” Night Rain said, sinking into sleep. “I can’t wait to give those Kelpies a piece of my mind.”
“We all would like too,” Renieghah said, yawning. “But for now, let’s focus on just resting…we’ve got a long way to go.”
It was this statement that Sirocco really thought about how long it would take to reclaim their home. Making the rest of the journey to Galloping Gorge was one thing, actually learning to fight and win was another. Renieghah was right, it would be a long time before Equestria was theirs again, provided they succeeded. Sirocco shuddered, not wanting to think of the sacrifices that would have to be made. How much would they lose before they won, if they ever did?
A soft snoring sound filled the room, and Sirocco realized her own tiredness setting in. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, the black pegasus took one last look around the room, noticing almost eveypony had fallen asleep. Adjusting her body to be more comfortable, Sirocco laid down her head, closed her eyes, and was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a quite voice come from Sea Breeze.
“Maryana, could you tell us a story?”
Sirocco noticed Maryana give a tired smile in the shadow of the fire. “Sure…once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess would ruled a mighty kingdom…”
That was all Sirocco heard before she drifted into quiet slumber.